Wringer



Feb. 20, 1945 c. s. WILLIAMS ETAL WRINGER Original Filed Dec, 51, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 20, 1945 c. B. WILLIAMS ETAL- 2,369,702

WRINGER Original Filed Dec. 51, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY$ Feb. 20, 1945. c. B; WILLIAMS ET AL 2,359,702

WRINGER Original Filed Dec. 31, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. C%dr/es 3. M/fi'aww above. I

Patented Feb. 20, 1945 s PATENT orifice asssmoa I I *6 WBINGER Charles B. Williams, Shaker Heights, Ohio, and Thankmar W. Kaestner, Dearborn, Mich., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Automatic Safety Wringer Company, a partnership composed of Charles B. Williams, Horace vB. Fay, and Charles W. Williams Q Original applicaticn'December 31, 1938, Serial No. 1' 248,734. Divided and this application August 6, 1942, Serial No. 453,898 j 13 Claims. (01. 68-262) Thisinvention relates. to a clothes wringer of I the multiple bite type and is more particularly directed to a three-'ro llclothes wringer 'in which clothes are alternatively fed from either side of the wringer through one bite as an auxiliary bite .5

and through another as a pressurenwringing bite.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 248,734 filed Dec. 31; 1938, and as such relates to clothes wring'ers of the typeindicated 'The chief object'of our invention has been to provide a wringer-with dual clothes bites and :simplifiedmechanism forefiecting the application of pressure at the said bites.

A further object .of'thejinvention has been to "provide pressure applying means shiftable from coaction with one roll bite to coaction with the other and so arr'angedthatthe line of application of spring pressure lies in a plane passing.

through the axes of the two rolls,- between which wringing pressure is maintained.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description when read in the light of the annexed drawings and ,the novel features are summarized in the claims.

' In said annexed drawings: I

. Fig. 1 is a transverse section in a vertical plane through the wringer;

Figs. 2,3 and 4 are sections through Fig. 1 as indicated by the lines 22, 3-3 and 4- 4 respectively; I r Fig. 5 is a section indicatedbythe' line 55 on Fig. 1 with parts omitted; I I

Fig. dis a section in the same plane as Fig. with parts omitted but showing the mechanism in idle position; v

' Figs. 7 and8 are sections-indicated by the lines 1--! and 88 respectively, on Fig. 6;

Fig. 9' is an end elevation of the improved wringer; I t

Figs. 10 and 11 are schematic showings of the release mechanism when engaged and when inposition to release respectively; and

Fig; .12 is a perspective of the roll controlling pivoted end frames. I

.In general the wringer comprises a pair of lower rolls mounted in a. horizontal plane'and in position to each coact simultaneously with a top roll mounted thereabove. A power-drive is simultaneously shifts the same and controls the direction of rotation of the wringer.

' Referring n ow'to-Figs. 1 and 9,v there is provided a frame formed of two U-shaped channel sections I5 and I6 welded to cross-frame members IB and I9 at each end ,ofthe Wringer. The

left end of thewringenFig. 1, is welded to a sheet metal head frame 20, in which is rotatably supported a stub shaft l2 to engage the wringer driving column on the washing machine and thus provide 'arpower connection to drive the rolls.

- Carried by the stub-shaft 22 is a bevel gear 24 driving vzasecond gear 25 mounted-on a wringer stub shaft 21 which is journalled in a collar '29 welded to the channel frames I5 and I6 and reinforced by an underlying-stirrup 3|, similarly connected to thechannel frames.

The rolls are controlled and partially supported by a pair of pivoted end frames 35 disposed at opposite ends of the wring'er. These end frames, as best shown in Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 12, each comprise a plate 31 provided at the top with an in- I wardly extending shoulder 38 to support the pressure spring assembly as hereafter described. The plates. arerecessed, as best shown in Fig. 3

and indicated at 40, to form an irregular opening converging at the center in a narrow upstanding rib 42 and abroad downwardly depending rib 44. The openings on each side of the ribs are symmetrical with the long'axis of the plate and permit play ofthe lower rolls as hereafter described. This opening, not lending itself to convenient description, is further defined as the opening included within the double line in-- 3 dication of the reinforcing flange 46, shown in Fig. 3.

I Each of the platesv 35 is further provided with a tseat for a wooden roll journal 48 .mounted for sliding movement in the slot 50 in line with 'the rib 42.' At its upper end the slot is 1 enlarged to permit removal of. the journal'blocks which are retained in the slot against displacement by rabbets in the journals which are engaged .bythe sides of the slot 50.

The end frame members 31, as best shown in Fig. 12, each carry a shell 53 comprising a pair of flanges 54 bolted to the plates and through generally channel shaped ribs 55 merging at the unsupported end with a vertical base plate 51.

The upper roll is urged downwardly by a spring acting with movable journals 48. v This spring, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises an upwardly bowed leaf ED engaged at its midportion by a screw 62,

to which isIsecured a handle 64. The' screw. is 55 journaled in a boss on the plate which extends across and is rigidly secured to each of the ribs 38 of the end frames 35. It will be apparent that as the handle 64 is turned the upper roll, indicated at A, will be urged downwardly by the spring 60. or released as desired to establish wringing pressure.

The lower rolls, indicated at B and C and positioned with respect to roll A as shown in Fig. 4, are alternatively locked to resist the downward movement of the roll A under the action of the spring 60 and establish wringing pressure between the top roll and either of the lower rolls.

The lower rolls are carried in substantially.

fixed bodily relation to each other by a pair of double journals l and H at opposite sides of the wringer. The journal comprises a pair of flat plates retained in position with respect to each other by roll journals 13 brazed to each plate. A roller 14 surrounds each journal for purposes hereafter described and the shafts 15 of the rolls B and C lie within the journals. The double journal H is identical with the journal 10 except that the journals 13 are longer, as indicated, and support athird plate outwardly beyond the two named.

The purpose of the elongated journals at the right-hand side of the wringer, Fig. 1, is to im sure that each of the rolls B and C will remain in parallel with the other and maintain the axis of each roll in a horizontal plane even when clothesare fed between one or the other of these rolls and the roll vA, causing separation at the roll bite. Thisis becausethe shafts, having a minimum clearance with the journal blocks are limited in the amount they can move out of line with the bearing axis as the length of the bearing surface increases. Expressed in another way, if a bunch of clothes is fed between the top roll and either of the lower rollsat one end of the wringer the opposite end will drop equally with the feeding end. The purpose of this as hereafter described is to operate. the automatic stop mechanism when excess material is fed to the rolls at either end ,of the wringer without the necessity for duplication of release mechanism at eachend of the wringer as heretoforeemplOyed. The lower rolls are normally maintained against the roll A by light wire springs 80 hearing at the ends against channels l5 and I6 and bowedupwardly in the middle to hem transverse. slots in lugs 82 brazed to the journals 1.0 and H, respectively. One-end of eachspring 8!] is sharply bent to lie in a hole in the channel l5 and the opposite end of each spring lies'in a transverse slot in the upper edge of the bottom member of the channel Hi. The springs are thus retained in position and yet allowed to contract and expand. The upward pressure exerted by these springs to maintain the rolls B and C in contact with the roll A establishes the feeding bite pressure. This pressure is heavy enough to grip and feed clothes to the pressur bite and yet is light enough to avoid injuring the fingers of the operator if they. become caughttherebetween. Further, the pressure is sufficiently light to permit the operator to jerk her hand out of the intake roll bite. Sidewise movement of the lowerrolls is limited by the extensions at the roll bites. Thus, as the spring 60 is shifted, as hereafter described, a wringing pressure bite is established at either side of the wringer desired and, due to the continued coaction of the auxiliary springs, the other bite is automatically retained in an intake auxiliary bite.

The pressure spring 60 is shiftable to coact with either roll bite desired in such a way as to apply its force in a line passing through the axes of the two rolls then acting as pressure rolls. This is an important feature of the invention because it applies the high roll pressure along a line permitting separation of the rolls as clothes are fed thereto in a manner to prevent binding of the movable roll journals with the supports against which they slide. The importance of this feature becomes apparent when it is recalled that wringing pressure between the pair of rolls forming the wringing bite is normally sufficient to crush the operator's hand when caught therebetween.

The pressure sprin shifting is accomplished by bodily shiftin the end frames from a position shown in Fig. 3 through a neutral position to the position indicated by dotted lines in that figure. In the position shown in Fig. 3,, the roll B is locked against movement in any direction and may only rotate in its supporting journals. Movement of the roll to the right in that figure is prevented by the contact of roller M carried about the journals of adjacent and commonly supported roll '0 against the curved side of the opening 40 heretofore described. The flange 4B surrounding this opening and shown in Fig. 7 provides adequate bearing for engagement by a roller 14 and thus, whilepreventing sidewise motion of the roll B, permits the roll C to drop freely as clothes are fed thereto. The roll C and the flange maintain contact because the latter is formed along an arc whosecenter is coincident with the axis of the roll 13 when in the position shown in Fig. 3.

Downward motion of the roll B in the locked position under discussion and incidental motion to the left are prevented by the narrow upstanding ribs 42 of the end frames 35 underlying the sleeve 14 of the corresponding journals. Thus, when the end frames are shifted to the position described, rolls A and B act as wringing rolls and roll 0 acts withroll A to provide a light pressure intake bite to the pressure roll bite. The adjustment of the handle 64, controlling the spring 60, should be set so that a slight upward movement of the lower roll, when engaged by the rib 42, applies the action of the spring to the top roll to initially load the bite with wring-v ing pressure. As clothes are fed through the pressure bite their thickness results in upward movement of roll A against the action of the spring v along a line passing through the two coaoting roll axes.

To shift the end frames35 a control bar 85 is employed extending across the wringer and seface plates 5-! at 8.8.-

cured to side arms '8'! which are. pivoted to the The ends of the arms 87 carry pins 89 which lie withinithe vertical slots 90 of the end' fra ne members It! and I9. In the same manner the face plates-53 each carry two pins SI and 92, both of which also lie within respective slots 90.

Referring to Fig. 9, it will be seen that the slot 90 i e d outward y as shown, o p t sidewise movement of thepins 89 and 9,2, respec- ,tively. The slots comprise two horizontally exend g g ons -9 and fizr g eeti-v lv, the .fq me aseatoa I 3 br which'aecommodates pin as and the latter pm 92. "As' the handle 85 is shifted to the dotted line position shown inFig. 9 the pins 89 at the ends thereof ride outwardly in the left side of the openings 94 until the said pins abut the upper side thereof and limit further movement of the handle. I Atthe same time, due to the pivot connection between shells 53 and the handle 85 at 88 and, due to the position of the pins 9| in respective slots 99, there will be a camming of the drive mechanism in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 2) as hereafter described; This movement carries'lower pins '92 to the left (Fig. 9) until the said pins underlie the 'upper portion of the lefthand side of the openings 95. When the pins 89 "and 92 are thus positioned the mechanism is so retained'that although the pressure spring 69 is actively applied between rolls A and B (Fig. 4)

there is no tendency for the handle 85 to return to an upward position. At the same time aslight pressure on the handle toward the center of the wringer will permit the wringing pressure -to be released because this movement is sufficient to rock the pins 92 to clear the upper part of the right-hand side .of the opening 93 allowing plates 3'! and spring 69 to be raised and thus release pressure of the spring on journals 48. When the handle 85 is swung across the wringer to the left-hand side thereof with reference to Fig. 9 the pins 89 will lie on theright-hand side of the openings 94. I i

As the handle is swung to either sideof the wringer and the pinsengage the corresponding side of the above described openings the ribs 42 of the plates 3l ride under the sleeves 14 of the roll on the opposite side of the wringer from that toward which the handle is swung. Thus, referring to Figs. 3 and 5, when the handle is swung to the right the ribs 42 engage the sleeves 14 of roll B and cam the same upwardly against roll A to force that roll slightly upwardly against spring 69 and apply wringing pressure at the roll bite between rolls A and B. When the handle is swung in the opposite direction the wringing bite is maintained between rolls A and C. In either case the bite which does not act as the wringing bite will be under light auxiliary pressure due to the action of the auxiliary springs 89.

' Power is applied from the shaft 21 to positively drive either roll B or C in the direction desired and, through friction therewith, to also drive the roll A. This driving mechanism is best shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6. Carried by the shaft 21 is a gear box I99 and a drive gear I92, which latter is pinned to the shaft. The gear I 92 drives a gear I94 and through it a second gear I95 mounted in the gear box. The gear I 94 may be positioned as shown in Fig.5 to drivinglyengage a gear I98 pinned to the shaft of roll B, and the gear I95 is likewise adapted to engage a gear II9pinned' to the shaft of the roll C. As shown in Fig. 1, the gear I94is of sufficient width to permit engaging the gear I95 and the gear I98 in a position offset from the location of gear I92.

From the foregoing description it will be'seen that as the handle 85 is shifted clockwis (Figs.

-5 and 6), drive is established to the roll B from When the parts are 'inthis position wringing pressure will be applied between rolls A and B and the rolls will rotate in such direction that clothes may pass between the two roll bites from right to left.

To reverse the wringer it is only necessary to throw the handle 85 from the position shown in Fig. 5 through the neutral position of Fig. 6 into .when the gear I94 engages the gear I98 and the gear I95 is idle. In the position where roll C i driven the ribs 42 will underlie rollers 14 carried by the journal supporting r011 C and thus wringing pressure is established between rolls A -andC. ,Due to the direction of rotation, clothes may be fed through the roll bites from left to right. The arm 85 operating about pivots 98 to shift plates 31 about the axis-of roll A as a pivot establishes a mechanical advantage during shifting which makes it easy for the operator to overcome the pressure of spring 99.

Roll rotation ceases when ,the handle 85 is shifted to a neutral or vertical position; At this time the gear box I99 and the gears I94 and I95 are so positioned that there is no driving relation with either of the gears I98 or II9.

Rotation of the pressure rolls is automatically terminated upon feeding an excess thickness of material to the wringer. The means by which this isaccomplished isbest shown in Figs. 2, 8, 19 and 11. A U-shaped stamping H5 is formed to lie against and partially surround the ear box I99. As shown in Figs. l and 2, this'stamping includes an elongated opening encircling the sleeve 29 carrying the stub shaft 21. This elongated opening terminates at the top in a narrow slot which embraces the pin 92 on the drive side of the wringer. "The stamping is normally held upwardly against the journal 29 by a small coil spring I I1, bearing at one end within the stamping and at the other end against a stud II9 threadingly secured in the bottom of the gear box. From the description so far it will be apparent that the gear box', otherwise normally free to pivot as'it would, is maintained in position by sition, depending on the location of the handle the engagement of thestamping I I5 closely'about it and when the pin 92 lies within the aforesaid stamping slot. The pin 92 is in turn held in po- 85 which acts to swing the assembly in which the pin 92 is secured. It follows that if the stamping H5 is slid downwardly along the gear box I 99 against the spring II I the slot therein will no longer engage the pin 92 and the gear box will be free to pivot. When this occurs, the driving engagement between eithergear I94 or I95 and respective roll gears will cease as the load on the rolls will cause the engaged gears to easily ride out of engagement with each other.

The stamping H5 is dropped and the roll rotation terminated upon movement of the lower roll acting to establish the feed bite a predetermined distance from the top roll. To this end an arm I29 is secured to the head end lug 82 of the lower roll journal and extends outwardly lengthwise of the wringer in position to overlie a, pin I22 carried-by the stamping H5. Refer.- ring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the opposing holes in the sides of the stamping which accommodate the pin I22 are duplicated in vertical rows'to permit location of the pin at various heights with respect to the stamping. This permits adjustment of the position at which the drive is terminated when the auxiliary lower roll moves away from the top roll. Referring to Fig. 10, the member I20 is normally positioned slight- 1y above the upper end of the pin I22 and as thick material passesv into the pressure bite, as shown in Fig. 11,-the lower auxiliary r011 drops away from the top roll pivotin the double, roll journal blocks about the opposite lower roll. This in turn drops the member I20 until it contacts with one end of the rod I22, pushing the same downwardly and carrying with it the stampingv Hi. This draws the portion forming the slot surrounding the pin 92 downwardly and,,as above described, releases th gear box I to permit the gears I04 and I08 to rotate out of engagement with each other.

A shown in the drawings, the mechanism is duplicated at each side of the wringer to permit automatic termination of the roll rotation, although the same has only been described when the wringer is positioned to feed clothes from right to left in the drawings.

l A drainboard I30 is provided, pivotally carried at I32 and adapted to be swung from one side apa t a d. with one roll. coact g with each of of the wringer to the other as the side from which clothes are fed is shifted. This swing is attained by a plate I34 recessed at I35. As the bolt IISis swun when handl 85 is shifted it strikes an edge of the recess I35 to rock the drainboard.

Other modes ofapplying the priniple of our invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention: 1. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried by said frame with their axes triangularly spaced apart andwith one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, a leaf spring pivotally mounted insaid frame and shiftable with respect to the frame to alternat positions exerting its force in a plane passing through the, axis of said one roll and the axis of either other roll as desired, means to cooperate with said spring to establish wringing pressure between the two rolls whose axes are in said plane of spring pressure, and means to urge the third roll and the one coacting roll together to form a light pressure intake bite.

2. In a wringer, a frame, three roll carried by said frame with their axes, triangularly spaced apart and with one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, a spring pivotally mounted in said frame and shiftable with respect to the frame to alternate positions exerting its force against said one roll and in a plane passing through the axis of said one roll and the axis of either other ro11 as desired, means to cooperate with said spring toestablish wringing pressure between the two rolls whose axes are in said plane of spring pressure, and means to urge the thirdroll and the onecoacting roll together to form alight pressure intake-bite.

3t In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carriedv by said. frame with their axes triangularly spaced the: other two to establish a pair of roll bites, a leaf spring pivotally mounted in said frame and shiftable to alternate positions exerting'its force in a plane passing through the axis of said one roll and the axis of either other roll as desired and means cooperating with said spring to establish wringing pressure between the two rolls whose axes are in said plane of spring pressure, a. shift member to shift said spring from one position to the other, including linkage to establish a mechanical advantage in favor of the operator during such shifting, and means to urge the third roll and the one coactin r011 together to form alight pressure intake bite.

4,. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried by said frame with their axes triangularly spaced apart and with one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, spring means carried by said frame and shiftable with respect to the'frame to establish wringing pressure at either bite desired, abutments to position the rolls at the wringing pressure bite against the thrust of said spring means, a shift member to shift said spring means from one position to the other, including linkage to establish a mechanical advantage in favor of the operator during such shifting, and means to urge the third roll and the one coactin roll together to form a light pressure intake bite.

5. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried by said frame with their axes triangularly spaced apart and with one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, a

mounting pivotally carried in said frame, a spring carried by said mounting and shiftable therewithwith respect to the frame to alternate positions to exert its force in a plane passing through the axis of said one roll and the axis of either other roll as desired, means carried by said mountin and cooperating with said spring to establish wringing pressure between the two rolls whose axes are in said plan of spring pressure, and means to urge the third roll and the one coacting roll together to form a light pressure intakebite.

6. Ina wringer, a frame, three rolls carried by said frame with their axes, triangularly spaced apart'and with one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, a mounting pivotally carried in saidv frame, a spring, carried by said mounting and shiftable therewith with respect to the frame to alternate positions to exert its force in a plane passing, through the axis of said, one roll and the axis of either other roll as desired, means carried by said mounting and adapted to underlie either roll and cooperatingwith said spring to establish wringing pressure between the two rolls whose axes are in said plane of spring pressure, and means to urge the third roll and the one coacting roll together to form a light pressure intake bite.

'7. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried by said frame with their axes triangularl spaced apart and with one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, pressure means shifta'ble with respect to the frame to alternately establish wringing pressure at either roll bite desired, and spring means extending from one side of the frame to the other at each end thereof and lying beneath said other two rolls, to resiliently limit their downward movement.

apart and with one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, a pressure spring mechanism shiftably carried byv said frame above said one roll and shiftable to alternate positions exerting clothes wringing force in -a plane passing through the axis of said one roll and the axis of either other roll as desired, in-

cluding members beneath said other rolls formed with a cam surface adapted to alternatively cam beneath one of said other rolls to establish a clothes wringing bite with said spring mechanism, and means to urge the third roll and the one coacting roll together to form a light pressure intake bite.

9. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried wringing pressure between the two rolls whose by said frame with their axes triangularly spaced apart and with one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, spring means carried by said frame and means to effect a shifting of said spring means with respect to the frame and said rolls to position said rolls between said spring'meansand abutments to establish wringing pressure atleither bite desired, said sprin shifting means including linkage to establish a mechanical advantage in favor of the operator during such shifting, and means to urge the third roll and the one coacting roll together to form a light pressure intake bite. 10. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried by said frame with their axes triangularly spaced apart and with one roll coacting with each of the other two to establish a pair of roll bites, spring means carried by said frame and means to. effect cooperating with said spring means to establish wringing pressure betweenthe two rolls whose axes are in said plane of spring pressure, and

means to urge the third roll and the one coacting roll together to form alight pressure intake bite.

11. .In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried by said frame with their axes,triangularly'spaced apart and with one roll coacting with each of the other two toestablish a pair of roll bites, spring means carried by said frame, including a spring to exert resilient clothes wringing force at each end of said rolls and means to effect a shifting of said spring means with respect to the frame and said rolls to alternate positions to exert the force of said spring means in a plane passing through the axis of said one roll and theaxis of either other roll as desired, further. means cooperating with said spring means to establish axes are in said plane of spring pressure, and means to urge the third roll and the one coacting roll together to form a light pressure intake bite.

12. In a wringer, a main frame, a pair of rolls carried thereby, resilient means adapted to urge said rolls upwardly toward-a third roll to provide a pair of roll bites, a sub-frame shiftably. carried by said frame, said sub-frame comprising a pair of end pieces and a pair of journal blocks, said end pieces and said blocks beingslidable with respect to each other, a spring mechanism carried by said sub-frame and adapted to resiliently limit relative movementof said end pieces and said journal blocks with respect to each other, said third roll being journaled in said journal blocks and members adapted to cooperate with said spring mechanism to ur e said'third roll and either lower roll together to establish a clothes wringing bite thereat consequent upon shifting said sub-frame with respect to the main frame from one side of the 'Wringer to the other.

13.- In a wringer, a frame, a sub-frame comprising a pair of end members and a connecting cross-member at the top, slideways in said subframe end members, journal blocks slidable therein, a roll carried by said journal block, a leaf spring hearing at its mid-point on the crossmember and at its ends on the journals, a pair of double journal blocks carried in said frame below said roll, two rolls carried therein, resilient means to urge said two rolls toward said first roll to establish a pair of clothes. bites, anabutment carried by each of said end members and adapted to cooperate with said spring to establish a wringing pressure bite, said sub-frame being shiftable to engage said abutments with either lower roll desired and position said lower roll with respect to the sub-frame roll to eStab-,

:lish a clothes wringing pressure bite.

CHARLES B. WILLIAMS. THANKMAR W. KAESTNER. 

